English through the news

Mekong Capital divests from Asia ChemicalsMekong Enterprise Fund II, a unit of Mekong Capital, has completely divested from Asia Chemicals Corporation (ACC) and taken in US$8.9 million, a 2.6-fold increase over its initial investment, after a seven-year holding period.According to a press release issued by Mekong Capital on August 10, in 2011, MEF II invested US$3.8 million in ACC, which was its 10th investment, after others in Mobile World Investment Group (The Gioi Di Dong), Golden Gate, Vietnam Australia International School and International Consumer Products.However, MEF II has now divested from all of its 10 earlier investments. The divestments have helped the fund generate a gross return multiple of 4.5 and a gross internal rate of return of 22.5%.Early this year, MEF II sold five million shares at Mobile World, generating a gross return multiple of 56.9 and an IRR of 61.1%, making it one of the most successful investments in Asia.Also, the fund’s full exit from Vietnam … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 22/8

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — International news channel France 24 has strengthened its presence in Việt Nam, after gaining new distribution agreements with five operators in Việt Nam. Thanks to these agreements with VTVCab, Viettel, HTV-TMS, Clip TV and K+, the channel has expanded the broadcast of France 24 in English across the country considerably, reaching an additional 2.2 million households. Since November 2016 the channel has been available through FPT Telecom and the VNPT Media Corporation. The channel is now available in 3.75 million households in Việt Nam, representing some 27 per cent of Vietnamese households equipped with a television set. To celebrate its expansion, the channel will broadcast a special programme about Viet Nam worldwide today. At 11.45am, on the exclusive Focus programme, a five-minute report entitled Vietnam Becoming a Major Player in Asian Football will be presented. Following the news bulletins the channel will show … [Read more...] about Int’l news channel France 24 expands presence in Việt Nam

France 24, a TV news broadcaster based in Paris, has recently signed a distribution agreement with five new operators in Vietnam to reach more audiences after nearly two years in the country. After receiving its editing license in September 2016, France 24 started with the broadcast on the offers of FPT Telecom and VNPT Media Corporation in November that year. To strengthen its presence in the country, the channel has recently inked deals with VTVCab, Viettel, HTV-TMS, Clip TV and K+, making it available to 2.2 million additional families, bringing the total audience to 3.75 million Vietnamese families, representing nearly 30 percent of the Vietnamese houses equipped with a television set. On May 24, the channel will debut its new program that is designed particularly for Vietnamese audiences, with a focus on "Vietnam becoming a major player in Asian football" through the experience of a football school in the country’s Central Highlands, "The Vietnamese e-commerce boom" and a … [Read more...] about News channel France 24 expands coverage in Vietnam

Viet Nam News Prof Dr Trịnh Văn Minh of the Việt Nam National University, Hà Nội, who is president of the Regional Committee of Experts of l’Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) (Francophone Universities Association) in Asia Pacific, was given in March the Honour Award of the Group of Francophone Embassies, Delegations and Institutions in Việt Nam (GADIF) for his important contributions to the development of the French language, and the values of Francophonie. The professor, who is author of a dozen books and about 30 scientific articles written in French and published in international and national magazines, speaks with Vương Bạch Liên on his love of the French language and his advice to young people seeking success in a globalised world. Inner Sanctum: Congratulations on your recent award! Could you tell us how you felt on receiving the prize? The award is an … [Read more...] about Language the key to understanding culture

Back in Việt Nam: Mathilde Tuyết Trần travelled to the northernmost point of Lũng Cú flagpole in the north Viet Nam News Mathilde Tuyết Trần* looks back to the events of April 30, 1975 and what that date means for her. She writes exclusively for Việt Nam News. It was a Wednesday. April 30, 1975. A day I’ll never forget. For those of us living in Europe at that time we could be found either working or in college. As we were all in a different time zone, we learned about events in Sài Gòn that day hours after it had actually happened. I was at college in what was still West Germany at the time. The Aachen University. We watched the television reports and listened to the radio open mouthed. Jaws dropped as we took in the news. Sài Gòn was lost or Sài Gòn was liberated. Was the glass of water half full or half empty? My mood back then was hard to put into words. As the crow flies, the distance … [Read more...] about April 30 has become the National Day of Solidarity and Reunification